Thread: Disadvantages of being solo

I'm just now getting a handle on accounting. This reminds me of a guy who never thought i'd make it because i quit his landscape company. He told me "weak mind, strong back", or some **** like that. He found out that i'm paying dues in his subdivision, and he can't believe it. I love seeing him in the grocery store. I walk real close to him, and ignore him. It burns his ass. I know that was off topic.

I think a disadvantage of being solo is you have to wear like 5 different hats at the same time. Accountant, salesman, laborer and all.

Not so much a disadvantage. It makes us very good at wearing different hats while keeping us focused on the big picture. ex. At least when I am the laborer working on a job the salesman underbid I know who to blame.

Its pretty much the stress of dealing with it all. If your just a trim and blow guy on a crew, you work your hours and go home and relax. Owners, work their hours and go home and sit down and catch up on the paper work, return customer phone calls, schedule this that and the other, etc.

i do my mowing on wednesday, thursday, and friday, saturday is a rain day if things get really bad. But the weathermen are hardly ever right anyways. they say rainy day, it ends up sprinkling, and I usually end up working, full days. I cut in the rain, just not when its raining hard, or down pouring. I have about 3 days of mowing if only work 5-6 hours days. but if i know its gonna rain on a certain day, i'll do lawns wednesday starting at 7:30-8 and go until 6 or 7 at night. then if thursday is the rain day, and friday is 100% sun, i'll wake up early and start cutting by 8, and work until everything is done so i can have the weekend off and my customers lawns look great for the weekends. I only have 20 accounts or so and but working solo this year, 10-14 accounts a day is pretty good day. and I'm able return all my phone calls within 24hrs, enter any expenses for the day into my billing system, and copy my fuel receipts at the end of the month within a few days of the month ending.

yeah it's just an idea. even 6hrs a day 5 days a week would work. that still leaves you a few hrs extra each day and saturday to catch up if needed.

you just have to find the right balance and what works for you.

i'm not even totally full yet but i'm turning away work. i used to just jump at almost anything to make a few extra bucks. now i'm seeing how building your customer base to fit what you want for your business is more important in the long run.

i'm done with these 1-2 time cuts or anything out of the ordinary like that. sure you'll make an extra $50-$100 but it's more of a hassle than anything else and that extra money isn't gonna be enough to make you rich and pay your bills.

i'm only interested in serious customers that want me to mow their lawns all season long year after year. anything else is a waste of time and effort. gotta think long term not short term.

So much for "overbooking" I didnt work monday, work like hech tuesday and wed, worked half day today and nothing tomarrow, all my houses are literally under water. I cant ever recall only working 3 dys in one week in May.

yeah i mowed some today and the ditches were still wet 3 days later. i got stuck once so i had to pull it out with the truck.

also i got fired by one guy. first time this has ever happened to me. i cut his wednesday and made a few small scuff marks in the yard since it was still a little soggy. it wasn't even a big deal and the guy's yard sucks anyways. half of it is dirt almost so it's not like you even notice it if you know what i mean.

it always seems the people with the worst yards complain the most. this guy was a new customer this year and i had doubts about him from the start as he was walking around the yard telling me do this do that and don't do this and don't do that. he never shuts up either. he just talks and talks like he knows it all. he needs to learn to listen for a change.

he just complains and complains over the stupidest stuff that's not even a big deal. i finally just told him to stop wasting my time. good riddance.

So much for "overbooking" I didnt work monday, work like hech tuesday and wed, worked half day today and nothing tomarrow, all my houses are literally under water. I cant ever recall only working 3 dys in one week in May.

And just think, you and I are scheduled for rain again tomorrow and Saturday. I'm one yard behind at this point. I managed to get caught back up mostly.

yeah this spring has been something else. just slow and hanging around which is way out of the ordinary in alabama. maybe this means it will only be in the 90s this summer instead of over 100. i hope so.

yeah i mowed some today and the ditches were still wet 3 days later. i got stuck once so i had to pull it out with the truck.

also i got fired by one guy. first time this has ever happened to me. i cut his wednesday and made a few small scuff marks in the yard since it was still a little soggy. it wasn't even a big deal and the guy's yard sucks anyways. half of it is dirt almost so it's not like you even notice it if you know what i mean.

it always seems the people with the worst yards complain the most. this guy was a new customer this year and i had doubts about him from the start as he was walking around the yard telling me do this do that and don't do this and don't do that. he never shuts up either. he just talks and talks like he knows it all. he needs to learn to listen for a change.

he just complains and complains over the stupidest stuff that's not even a big deal. i finally just told him to stop wasting my time. good riddance.

I have to agree that the clients with the worst lawns who won't spend a penny to kill the weeds or attempt to make it look decent complain the most. They're also the ones saying to cut it to the dirt and I tell them that's not going to happen and I'm not ruining my equipment and dulling my blades.